Rents in the capital have reached £1,110 a month while average rents across
England and Wales are 3.9pc higher than last year.

Tenants are facing further pressure on their finances as rents have increased in every region across England and Wales for the first time in 18 months, a lettings network has reported.

Private rents rose by 0.2pc month-on-month in April to reach £736 on average - and for first time since November 2011 rents were up year-on-year across the whole country - according to LSL Property Services, which owns chains Your Move and Reeds Rains.

Rents started edging back up again month-on-month in March, following a period of falls amid the seasonal winter slowdown.

The further push up in April means average rents have returned to levels not seen since November last year and they are 3.9pc higher typically than a year ago.

London saw the biggest annual increase in rents, with a 7.6pc rise pushing average rents to £1,110 a month. Wales recorded the second highest spike, with a 5pc rise taking rents to £566 typically.

The South West, which was the only region to see rents fall year-on-year in March, recorded a 0.5pc annual increase in April, putting average rents at £634.

On a monthly basis, rents rose in eight out of 10 regions, with the East Midlands recording the strongest increase at 0.6pc, to reach around £552.

Matt Hutchinson, director of UK flat and house share website SpareRoom.co.uk, said: "The cogs of the property market still haven't been properly oiled, and the rental sector is taking the strain.

"Demand continues to outstrip supply, with tenants staying in properties for longer and a lack of new rental stock coming onto the market. The result is that average rents are rising above the rate of inflation and there's not much tenants can do about it."

He said that due to unavailability of mortgages many consumer have been left with little option other than to rent long term, even if they have aspirations to buy - and landlords know they have tenants over a barrel.